Fastener



Feb. 6, 1962 R. E. PECKHAM 3,019,499

FASTENER Original Filed Aug. 8, 1955 INVEN TOR. P07 5 PFCKHAM H Trek/V5 Y annals 3,019,499 FASTENER Roy E. Pecldrarn, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Robert L. Brown, lFerndale, Mich. Continuation of application Ser. No. 526,934, Aug. 8, 1955. This application Dec. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 857,222 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-73) This invention relates to a fastener and more particularly to a fastener of the type to be secured to a panel for holding a hollow molding to the panel.

It is an object of the invention to provide a body portion having laterally and upwardly extending flanges for receiving and retaining inwardly extending flanges of a hollow molding and to secure the body portion to a panel by integral deformable tabs spaced apart by a portion of the body portion which may be readily projected through an opening in the panel and bent around a fulcrum of the body portion which spaces the tabs for securely locking the body portion to the panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a body portion having spaced tabs projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the body portion, the portion of the tabs extending outwardly at one side of the body portion being bent by the bending of that portion of the tabs at the opposite side of the body portion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a body portion having a pair of tabs provided with portions projecting beyond opposite sides of the body portion and to space and support the ta s longitudinally of the body portion by an integral portion of the body portion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the improved fastener.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the fastener applied to an apertured panel before it is secured thereto.

FIG. 3 is a View corresponding to FIG. 2, but showing the fastener securely locked to the panel.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing the fastener locked to the panel and a molding applied to the fastener.

As an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the fastener has been shown as one for securing hollow moldings to a supporting panel It provided with an aperture 12 which may be formed circular or otherwise. A molding strip 14 having a pair of inwardly extending flanges 16 and an arcuate outer surface 13 is secured to the panel lit by the improved fastener.

The fastener comprises a body portion 26 of generally rectangular shape having an upturned flange 22 at each of its lateral edges. These flanges are tapered outwardly so that they provide a divergent surface for holding the flanges 16 of the moi ing 14 which is sprung over the flanges 22. The outer free edges of the flanges 22 are bent inwardly as at 24 to form a rounded upper edge portion for guiding and spreading the flanges 16 over the divergent flanges 22.

The body portion is slightly bowed so that its longitudinal edge portions engage the panel Ill with the central portion of the body slightly spaced above the panel ll whereby it may be drawn into tight holding engagement with the panel by the securing means hereinafter more fully described. The opposite ends of the body Eli are each provided with a pressed bead 26 to give rigidity to the end portions so that the central portion of the body is the only portion to be drawn down to the panel by the securing means. Beads 26 and flanges 22 provide reinforcing ribs on the body portion of the fastener.

Stamped out of the body portion are a pair of tabs iifilgfihh Patented Feb. 6, 1862 28 integral with a central strip so of the body portion which separates the tabs. Each tab is bent upwardly out of the plane of the body portion as at 32 and then reversely bent downwardly upon itself as at 34, through the opening 36 formed by the removal of the tab, to a point below the lower surface of the body portion. This point from the body portion exceeds the thickness of the supporting panel to which the fasteners are applied.

The outer free ends of the downwardly extending portion of the tabs are bent outwardly in opposite directions to form holding cars 38. In the normal position, before the tabs are bent into their holding position, and as shown in FIG. 2, that portion of the tabs 32 extending above the plane of the body portion, extends at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to the plane of the body portion ll) in divergent relation. The holding ears 38 are in substantially parallel relation, spaced apart a distance for freely entering the opening 112 in the panel ltl.

When the fastener is applied to the panel, the divergent portions 32 are bent by a suitable tool, such as a pair of pliers, to substantially parallel position as shown in FIG. 3. This bending action causes that portion of the tabs below the central strip 30 to be bent outwardly into tight engagement with the edge of the opening 12 in the panel ill. The holding ear portions 33 are brought into holding engagement with the lower urface of the panel it). There is provided a rib it in the portions 34 and 38 of the tabs to stiffen the bend between the portion 34 and the holding ear portion 38. The central strip 3d supports the tabs in spaced relation and serves as a bridge with its edge portions acting as fulcrum points for the tabs 28 when they are bent. After the fastener has been applied to the panel, the molding 13 is snapped over the opposite edge portions 22 of the fastener.

The invention has been described in relation to a single form, but it will be understood that various changes including the size, shape and form may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is my intention to cover such changes as may be reasonably included within the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a continuation of my prior copending application Serial No. 526,934, filed August 8, 1955.

I claim:

1. A. sheet metal fastener comprising a body portion formed of a malleable and readily permanently distortable metal, said body portion having a pair of opposed tabs struck in their entirety from separate areas spaced inwardly from and circumscribed by a continuous peripheral edge portion of the body portion, said tabs each comprising a first leg portion struck upwardly from the body portion and connected therewith along a bend line and a second leg portion underlying the first leg portion and connected therewith by a return bend, the second leg portion of each tab extending below the level of the body portion and being bent along corresponding lines below the level of the body portion outwardly away from. one another and being spaced apart a distance less than the spacing between said return bends, said tabs being wider adjacent said bend lines than at said free ends and the side edges thereof tapering inwardly toward each other from the bend lines to said return bends, said bend lines being spaced apart in generally parallel relation and the metal therebetween lying generally at, as distinguished from below, the level of the body portion, said body portion having rib means thereon extending along and adjacent opposite sides of the openings formed by said struck out tabs and said metal extending between said bend lines to impart substantial rigidity to said body portion at the area thereof adjacent said tabs and the metal between said bend lines whereby the fastener may be positioned against an apertured panel with the free ends of the tabs extending through an aperture in the panel and the first leg portions may be gripped between the jaws of a squeezing tool and squeezed together to bend the tabs about said bend lines to thereby spread the free ends of the tabs apart and upwardly into tight engagment with the edges of the aperture.

2. A sheet metal fastener as called for in claim 1 wherein the perpendicular distance between said bend lines is at least as great as the length of each of said first leg portions.

3. A fastener as called for in claim 1 wherein the 4i length of each of the first leg portions is less than the length of the portion of the second leg portion which extends below the bend line along which the tab is connected to the body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,618,193 Peckham Nov. 18, 1952 2,460,722 Waara Feb. 1, 1949 2,476,297 Brown July 12, 1949 2,783,513 Elms Mar. 5, 1957 

